A beautifully-shot exploration of Scandinavian and Nordic countries. As always with his shows, there are stunning locations and surprises, plus typical Simon phrases such as ‘oh my goodness’, ‘flippin’ eck’ and ‘bloody hell’. Sometimes he’s in cold weather gear, but the trusty shemagh scarf still makes an appearance. Continuing my tradition of reviewing Simon Reeve’s travel documentaries, here’s my review.

Episode 1:

• From a research boat in the Svalbard archipelago, we see a rare blue fox, reindeer and even a whale, representing the wildlife that has happily increased since the hunting ban. Longyearbyen, the most northerly town in the world, is a tight-knit community. Mothers-to-be are sent to the mainland where the hospitals are larger, while at the opposite end of life, burials do not take place either because of the permafrost. Simon goes 6km down a coal mine, where to drive into the low seam, they are practically lying down. It is due to close and the miners will have to find new jobs.
• A tense visit to a Russian outpost, Barentsburg; they are not friendly with the Norwegians and there are some Cold War tactics going on. Simon has an odd meeting with a bureaucrat, which is not filmed. In Lapland in Finland, it’s minus 30 degrees centigrade near the Russian border. At the home of the real Father Christmas, with a huge tourism industry built upon this, Simon seems embarrassed to be confronted by elves in a forest and taken to meet Santa, who gives him a fluffy reindeer gift. Any sentimentality quickly goes as it turns out that the SantaPark is actually a nuclear bunker, one of thousands in the country which could shelter the population. Simon explores the military side to Finland, where national service is mandatory for men and voluntary for women, after which they join the reserves. At a very snowy training camp, patriotic young people are skiing into freezing water to learn how to climb out if they fall through weak ice. Simon has a go, the instructor insisting it’s good fun.
• The Finns are a very hardy lot, even from a young age. At a forest nursery school, small children play in the snow, which is very beneficial as it improves their immune systems and social skills. Next, into Sweden, a Sami reindeer herder demonstrates the modern way of herding, using a drone, GPS and snowmobiles, however it’s becoming harder to keep the way of life. Finally the town of Kiruna, where whole buildings are being moved due to the expansion of the iron ore mine. The mine is very high tech; one of the miners demonstrates using a joystick and gaming console to control the machines. Most amazing is a sort of robo-dog, which emerges from a kennel.

Episode 2:

• After helping a Norwegian family round up their sheep, continuing a traditional way of life, Simon accompanies the farmer, Roy, to his other job, at Norway’s biggest oil and gas refinery. Interestingly, Norway uses a lot of clean energy sources while getting rich from exporting oil and gas to places like the UK and Germany. On to Bergen where he meets ‘Oyster Dundee’, a 72-year-old oyster diver who rose from humble beginnings, to a career with the oil industry, who owns an expensive seafood restaurant and says it is lucky to be born Norwegian.
• A sleeper train to Oslo and the headquarters of the sovereign wealth fund, which is worth the equivalent of nearly 25,000 tons of gold, over £1 trillion. Simon meets the head of the fund, Trond, who explains the policy behind it. Not everyone is happy about the country sitting on its wealth from oil. Simon meets a campaigner, Bente, and while travelling to the Lofoten Islands by boat, he suggests that this may be the most beautiful country in the world – that is really saying something from a man who has been to so many places. There is a fantastic shot of an eagle swooping down for a fish. Bente was one of the founders of a locals’ movement to stop the oil industry in the islands, where it would ruin the environment. There is a wonderful shot of several orca playing in the sea. He visits a huge, high-tech fish farm, a segment which I partially skipped.
• While driving during the midnight sun, Simon is surprised to see a shop has left their stock out and customers are trusted to pay, something you wouldn’t see in a British town. On to Iceland, where vulcanologist Helga drives through a spooky road of cooling lava which steams either side of the road. Towns are under threat from volcanoes and earthquakes, which can also have a global impact. A journey to a glacier and an ice cave reveals they are standing on the Katla volcano which last erupted in 1918, but as the glacier rapidly melts, this releases the pressure on the volcano and could cause an eruption. Finally, a carbon capture company is doing some good work but as Simon says it’s only small and like ‘trying to bail out the Titanic with a teaspoon’.

Episode 3:

• A cosy cabin in the woods, ABBA on the radio, references to flat-pack furniture… but trust Simon to find another side to Sweden: arms exports. They have their own defence industry. He visits a weapons testing site, cue slow-motion shots of firing and explosions. On to Stockholm by hydrofoil, which cuts quickly and smoothly through the water. Swedes rate highly for happiness, and we meet a ‘hipster Jesus’, professor Micael, who explains the welfare economy. Benefits are generous but everyone is expected to play their part. On an e-scooter ride through the city, they meet a dads’ baby group in the park.
• With the elite police squad, we are shown a cabinet of homemade devices, often thrown by teenagers recruited by gangs. Simon is suited up to experience what the police wear on the streets, and it’s almost like an astronaut suit, with built-in fans. Immigration is a huge factor in the crimewave. Faysa was born in Sweden, from a Somalian refugee background, and tells how her family and friends were lost in drug wars on the estates where migrants are housed.
• Over the Oresrund bridge to Denmark, which Simon knows already as he visits family there. The country is a leader in wind energy and Simon actually goes up a turbine which powers 20,000 homes. Henrik Stiesdal, one of the original turbine engineers, enthuses about his invention of floating wind farms. In Copenhagen, Simon looks for clues to why Danes are happy. Trust seems to be the “secret sauce”. Danes also love to join clubs. Simon sings with an environmental-themed choir. For people from ‘non-western backgrounds’, it’s a different story. Mohammed, a taxi driver, points out the apartment from which the family were forcibly relocated for the “social experiment” of integration. Simon questions an MP about the country’s attitude to immigrants. Danish values are key, rather than multiculturalism. Simon concludes the series by saying that despite the problems in Scandinavian societies, they seem to work better than any he’s seen (worth noting he’s visited 130 countries…)

This is a very eye-opening and informative programme which gives an insight into modern Scandinavia.

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